After the success that Netflix found when producing its own original movies, streaming services like Hulu hopped on the trend and made their own films as well. As is always the case, the releases have been something of a mixed bag, with some being hits and others being overlooked.

For example, Hulu was behind the well-received Predator prequel Prey and the notable remakes of White Men Can’t Jump and Hellraiser. They also put out Fresh, which made waves for its wild concept and a villainous Sebastian Stan.

A deeper look reveals that, in a lot of cases, some of the best Hulu original films are actually the ones that flew under the radar. The movies that weren’t heavily marketed or didn’t garner awards hype, yet are hidden gems that can be watched by any subscriber.

10

No Exit (2022)

Based on a 2017 novel of the same name, No Exit went largely unnoticed when it arrived on Hulu in early 2022. However, those who saw it stumbled upon an intriguing popcorn movie with an interesting premise and a mystery to unravel.

The film focuses on Darby Thorne (Havana Rose Liu), an addict in recovery who gets stranded at a rest stop with a group of others during a blizzard. It’s there that she discovers one of the cars in the parking lot is housing a captive child and she must figure out who at the rest stop is behind it.

While the movie does reveal the kidnapper pretty early on, there are still plenty of twists and turns to make this an engaging story. No Exit was met with mixed reviews but Liu is strong as the lead and the supporting cast is good, including an early look at future MCU and The Last of Us star Danny Ramirez.

9

The Ultimate Playlist Of Noise (2021)

A lot of romantic comedies follow a similar setup and hit well-known story beats, so the way to stand out is to do something unique with the concept. That’s what The Ultimate Playlist of Noise does well, even if it was ultimately overlooked by far too many people.

In The Ultimate Playlist of Noise, high school senior Marcus (Keean Johnson) learns that he’s going to lose his hearing due to surgery for a brain tumor, so he starts to record a playlist of his favorite everyday sounds. Along the way, he falls for Wendy (Madeline Brewer) in this touching tale.

The film didn’t receive overly positive reviews, with many unjustly comparing it to Sound of Metal, which had a similar premise and was an Oscar contender. Though it’s not on the same level, The Ultimate Playlist of Noise has a lot to offer in terms of music, charm, and romance.

8

Big Time Adolescence (2019)

Released on Hulu right as most of the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic (it premiered in 2019 at Sundance though), Big Time Adolescence was possibly overlooked because people had more important things to worry about at the time. That said, the film was met with positive reviews from critics.

The movie tells the story of the relationship between teen Mo Harris (Griffin Gluck) and his college dropout buddy Zeke (Pete Davidson), and how the latter influences the former. The two actors played well off each other and helped steer this to an impressive 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Although Davidson is kind of just playing a character he’s done several times before, Gluck is a standout as the lead. The supporting cast is also very strong, with Sydney Sweeney and Jon Cryer among the film’s notable names.

7

Self Reliance (2023)

Self-Reliance has one of the most fun setups of any Hulu original film. The idea behind it is that a man named Tommy is offered $1 million to play a game where hunters attempt to kill him for a month but they aren’t allowed to if he’s around anyone else. Tommy must avoid being alone and he wins the prize.

That allows for some hilarious and over-the-top sequences where Tommy (Jake Johnson) annoys his family members who don’t believe him, befriends a random homeless man, and finds potential romance with Maddy (Anna Kendrick), who is also playing the game.

Jake Johnson is good as the lead character and has chemistry with Kendrick but his more impressive work comes behind the camera in his directorial debut. He balances the thrills with the comedy aspects well, making for a blast of a movie.

6

Rosaline (2022)

The story of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is one that has been told over and over in various forms of media throughout time. So it really takes trying something different to give us something new, which is what Rebecca Serle’s 2012 YA novel When You Were Mine did.

Her book was inspired by Romeo & Juliet, yet tells the story from the perspective of Rosaline Capulet, Romeo’s ex. The aptly тιтled Rosaline adapts that story as a delightful romantic comedy that was unfortunately overlooked by many upon its release.

Rosaline is the kind of movie that is likely to get more viewers these days than when it was first released, given its unexpected connection. It stars Kaitlyn Dever as the тιтular character and features Isabela Merced as Juliet, with the two sharing the screen ahead of their scene-stealing work in The Last of Us season 2.

5

Not Okay (2022)

Not enough people talk about how good Zoey Deutch is. The talented actor has been a standout in everything she’s worked in from supporting parts in Zombieland: Double Tap and The Outfit to leading roles in Buffaloed and Set It Up.

Deutch took on her most challenging role for 2022’s Not Okay. In it, she plays Danni Sanders, a woman so obsessed with becoming famous that she lies about being a survivor of a bombing. The film is so tricky to navigate that it even includes a trigger warning at the start.

Movies with completely unlikable protagonists are rare and that’s why Deutch’s performance is to be commended. She manages to carry the movie and keep the audience locked in despite never giving them a reason to root for her. Reviews were positive, which often lauded Deutch’s work.

4

No One Will Save You (2023)

We return to another Kaitlyn Dever Hulu original, yet this one has an even more intriguing angle than Rosaline. Released in 2023, No One Will Save You focuses on a woman named Brynn (Dever), who fights off an alien invasion at her home.

The actual scene of the aliens attacking during the middle of the night are gripping and exciting but what makes the film truly special is the lack of dialogue. There are only a few lines spoken during the entire 93-minute runtime, meaning the cast and filmmakers have to tell their story in other ways.

The тιтle comes from the fact that Brynn has been shunned by her entire community, so nobody is inclined to help in her time of need. Again, Dever’s performance is great while the sci-fi twist on a home invasion thriller helps make this a one-of-a-kind film.

3

Crush (2022)

It feels like teen rom-coms are kind of a thing of the past. Films like 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s the Man, She’s All That, and Clueless don’t seem to get made much anymore, so when one pops up, especially a good one, it should become a hit.

Alas, Crush is indeed a very good teen rom-com, just one that didn’t become a huge hit. Still, Crush is a teen rom-com for the modern crowd, taking a tried and true formula, applying it to an LGBTQ+ setting, and adding just enough freshness so it feels brand new.

The story sees Paige (Rowan Blanchard) join her school’s track team to get closer to her crush Gabriela (Isabella Ferreira), only to actually fall for Gabriela’s sister AJ (Auli’i Cravalho). The cast has electric chemistry, the script is sharp, and Crush sits at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.

2

Plan B (2021)

There were strangely two movies released in the early 2020s that followed very similar storylines. In 2020, HBO Max released Unpregnant, which follows two friends who travel across state lines so one can get an abortion, where it’s legal.

A year later, Hulu put out Plan B, which again sees two friends embark on a road trip so one can get the morning-after pill in a state where it’s legal. While both movies were met with positive acclaim, Plan B was the more impressive of the two, evidenced by its 96% RT score.

Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma are splendid as the two best friends, while Natalie Morales impresses in her feature directorial debut. The film was lauded for how it handles its main message, the chemistry between the leads, and the witty screenplay.

1

Rye Lane (2023)

Richard Linklater’s acclaimed Before trilogy is grounded by the simple setup of following two people who fall for each other while walking and talking. Rye Lane does the same thing but there’s a comedic twist to it that changes the genre.

In Rye Lane, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) are strangers who meet after both experience break-ups and spend the day getting to know one another. That includes interactions with both of their exes in wacky situations.

Rye Lane has an outstanding 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise going to the screenplay and the performances of Oparah and Jonsson. One review even named director Raine Allen-Miller as the first Black filmmaker since Spike Lee to effortlessly bring viewers into their world. On top of all that, there’s also an unexpected Colin Firth cameo thrown in.